Risk Measures for Public Healthcare Service Quality Scale: An Evaluation of Collective and Independent (Urban and Rural) Decision Models Using Fuzzy AHP Methodology

Abstract

The study attempts to propose a conceptual framework for evaluating public healthcare service quality in the Indian context. First, it aims to construct and validate the Public HealthCare Service Quality (PubHCServQual) scale for three decision models; Collective Decision Model (CDM), Independent Urban Decision Model (IUDM), and Independent Rural Decision Model (IRDM). Second, the study estimates and validates the relative importance of service quality constructs. Lastly, it evaluates Aggregate Risk Measures (ARM) by incorporating concepts of Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). Based on the importance of factors and the probability of occurrence of dissatisfaction due to factors, the aggregate risk was evaluated for CDM, IUDM, and IRDM, using FAHP. The study successfully constructed and validated the PubHCServQual scale which is original for CDM, IUDM, and IRDM. The study directs the management of public healthcare facilities towards improvements and creates the value of service quality.

Keywords

• Fuzzy AHP
• public healthcare
• risk measures
• service quality